This blog focuses on news and information regarding practice in the federal courts in the Eastern District of California, with a special emphasis on criminal and civil rights cases.

Blog Author

John Balazs is an attorney in Sacramento, California, specializing in criminal defense, including appeals, habeas corpus, pardons, expungements, and civil forfeiture actions. After graduating from UCLA Law School in 1989, he clerked for Judge Harry Pregerson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. John was an Assistant Federal Defender in Fresno and Sacramento from 1992-2001. He currently serves as an adjunct professor in clinical trial advocacy at the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law. Please email EDCA items of interest to Balazslaw@gmail.com. Follow me on twitter @balazslaw.

Disclaimer

This blog is for informational purposes only. Nothing in this blog should be construed as legal advice. The law can change rapidly and information in this blog can become outdated. Do your own research or consult with an attorney.

November 28, 2017

Placer County Pays $100,000 To Settle Jail Abuse Lawsuit

Placer County officials have agreed to settle a jail abuse lawsuit by paying $100,000 to a former inmate, while yet another lawsuit has been filed alleging that deputies beat a prisoner in the Auburn jail last year.

The developments come as Placer County continues to grapple with the fallout from a scandal revealed last May by Sheriff Devon Bell, who announced the arrests of three Auburn jail employees on charges of excessive force against inmates and falsifying evidence.

Charges against the three are pending, and they remain suspended from the department.

The allegations have spawned a series of at least seven federal civil rights lawsuits, including one that is in the process of being settled for a $100,000 payment with no admission of wrongdoing by the county.

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Placer County Pays $100,000 To Settle Jail Abuse Lawsuit

Placer County officials have agreed to settle a jail abuse lawsuit by paying $100,000 to a former inmate, while yet another lawsuit has been filed alleging that deputies beat a prisoner in the Auburn jail last year.

The developments come as Placer County continues to grapple with the fallout from a scandal revealed last May by Sheriff Devon Bell, who announced the arrests of three Auburn jail employees on charges of excessive force against inmates and falsifying evidence.

Charges against the three are pending, and they remain suspended from the department.

The allegations have spawned a series of at least seven federal civil rights lawsuits, including one that is in the process of being settled for a $100,000 payment with no admission of wrongdoing by the county.